Just realized my PS2 fat is making a weird grinding noise after 18 years

Pulled it out of the closet last weekend to play some NFS Underground and it sounds like a dying vacuum cleaner, has anyone fixed one of these drives or should I just hunt for a slim model on Craigslist?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_taylor7d agoMost Upvoted

Search eBay for a replacement laser assembly before you give up. I replaced one in my fat PS2 a few years ago and it’s still running fine. The part number is KHM-400C or KHM-410 for most models. It’s a fiddly job with tiny ribbon cables, but doable with a steady hand and a YouTube video.

jordan_hill7d ago

Man that sucks. Those fat PS2 lasers eventually wear out after years of use. You can try cleaning the lens with a q-tip and some alcohol, that fixes it sometimes. If that doesn't work, hunting for a slim model on Craigslist is probably your best bet since they're cheap and easy to find. Fixing the drive itself is a pain and usually not worth the hassle.

danielr997d ago

Yeah, @jordan_hill I'm with you on that. It's kinda funny how with older consoles people always say "just fix it" but really it's a lot like trying to keep an old car on the road instead of just getting a newer one that actually works. I've cleaned laser lenses on a few PS2s and Dreamcasts and sometimes it buys you a few more months, but it's never a permanent fix. Feels like everything eventually just hits a point where the cost and effort of a repair doesn't make sense compared to hunting down a replacement for cheap on a marketplace. It's one of those weird life lessons where you gotta know when to let go and just get the slim model.